Zuppa Toscana {Slow Cooker}

I love a good copy cat recipe. Zuppa Toscana is always a favorite when we go to the Olive Garden (the closest one is 2.5 hours away). When a co-worker brought in this soup for a luncheon last year I knew I had to try to recreate it. It is simple, yummy, healthy, and hearty. It is full of flavor and cooks all day while you are at work. The best part, it tastes exactly like the Olive Garden’s beloved soup.

You will need…

4 cups of diced potatoes
2 lbs of Italian sausage
4 cups of chicken broth
6 pieces of bacon (pre-cooked)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 cup of chopped onion
a splash of half-and-half (up to a 1/4 cup…or more to your taste)
1 cup of chopped/ripped kale (save until the very end)

Begin by browning the sausage, onion and minced garlic.

While that is browning away, slice pre-cooked bacon, and potatoes.

Next, add all ingredients into the slow cooker (minus the half-and-half and kale…that will come at the end). Add the potatoes, sausage mixture, bacon, chicken stock. Cook on low for up to 10 hours.

30 minutes before serving, add a splash of cream. I literally splashed in a little cream, it was not even a 1/4 cup, but feel free to measure if you would like.

Right before serving, either tear or chop the kale and add to the soup.